"There is a reason why a dead man so near the path has still his goods, in pristine condition! Make a wide circle around, friends, for this fellow will guard what was his, from you, from beasts, from the very tooth of time.""No pickings here" Carus noted.

Logged

"Captain, the buttocks are moving from the pink into the red and purple spectrum! We cannot maintain this rate of spanking any longer!"

Atacuso loosed the halberd from his pack and hefted it with the business end leveled squarely at the well-dressed corpse. He moved carefully to take a flanking position, silent but with eyes darting about and ears sharp.

Perception check to see if anything is (more) amiss: Dozus rolls 1d20 and gets 6.

"Lo there do I see my father Lo there do I see my mother, my sisters and my brothers, Lo there do I see the line of my people, back to the beginning. Lo, they do call me, they bid me take my place among them, in the halls of Shagaar's Shack, where the brave may live....forever!"

He pays respects to his ancestors. He lets any free-roaming spirits present know, that he is not an enemy. This is how it is done. It is this sing-song epic which the barbarians of Sorvegil learn to intone at a young age, and which they believe will keep the undead at bay.

Ah, how I have come to love that sense of accomplishment and victory that I get when I pull the wool over the eyes of a clever player character. What DM Triumphs have you had?

Some of mine:1. Finally killing an incredibly powerful, lucky, annoying player's character.2. Finally achieving a TPK (Total Party Kill)3. Finally achieving a TPK using only traps4. Finally working out how to make it so that d**n wizard doesn't steal the spotlight all the d**n time.

As Helgkhor recited his tribal prose to dispel evil spirits and calm the restless dead the group remained where they were, studying the area and keeping a healthy distance from the deceased body. The barbarian's respectful words of his ancestors resonated eerily through the patter of the rain, echoing between the wreckages to either side of them; the combination of the song and rain in an otherwise silent, hazy night made the group feel very small in this world. Atacuso took several steps to one side to flank the corpse while Helgkhor did his duty, but nothing moved; at least, not until the barbarian uttered his final syllables.

A heartbeat of silence passed. Then, as though Helgkhor's lyrics were a summoning ritual, the mud before the group began to shift and pulse - past the corpse and on the other side of the low rock. As though borne from the earth itself, seven figures arose from the earth with a chilling rattle of bone. The dead was rising before their very eyes - bleach-boned skeletons with piercing, yellow eyes clawed their way to the surface.

Seven aberrations rose before them menacingly as though mocking the living companions for clinging to life. Six were arranged in a rough semi-circle along the width of the clearing, two carrying daggers in each hand, held down to their sides, but the other four completely ungarbed and unarmed. A seventh stood several feet in front of the others, partially clothed in rotting garments similar to the immobile corpse. The handle of a masterfully crafted scimitar could be seen, sitting in the scabbard on the belt of this seventh skeleton. A wooden round shield was strapped to it's back.

The seven figures stood before the companions. They had climbed ominously from the ground itself yet now they took no action, simply standing in this formation and watching the group with their soul-piercing yellow eyes.

(rolls)Metandris and Korchel's eyes were failing them this night, but Helgkhor, Atacuso and Aredhel all noticed one other feature about these creatures: each bore a ring of the same make upon their bony fingers; a plain silver band with a single, smoky gem set inside it.

OOC: Seven skeletons stand before the group, making no move but watching, waiting. I will post a rough map in the OOC thread to give you all a bit of an idea how they stand.

Atacuso stood frozen - not terrified, properly, but out of a hunter's instinct to stay still when spotted. "De dead rise," he said through gritted teeth, mouth barely moving. "See de rings dey bear? Must be some red medicines keeping deir bones a-shaking."

He shifted his eyes to Aredhel. "You know dese spells? Can you put dem back in de ground?"

"I know of these spells, which is not the exactly same thing...""So much self-criticism!" Carus laughed, gravely."To put them in the ground, you can use a spade, or ... wait... hm...!"The elf's eyes narrowed as he scanned the surroundings with his sixth sense for clues. What made those bones stir and rise?Detect Magic, and Spellcraft/Knowledge-Arcana: is there anything that would serve as a common focus for the spell animating the skellies via that ring? I think a lvl1 party would do best to avoid fighting 7 skeletons Please make a hidden roll, SE.

Logged

"Captain, the buttocks are moving from the pink into the red and purple spectrum! We cannot maintain this rate of spanking any longer!"

"Then how did the carriage we seek pass? I do not see a wrecked carriage, nor horse bones. These are not likely a recent addition on account of their visible age, so they must have allowed passage for some unknown reason. Perhaps kindred spirits?

Decide on a course - I will help as I can."

Metandris pulled a sling out from a pocket of his robes, and a carefully selected stone to fire.

(a roll for Echo... Natural 20!)Aredhel detects that the ring are indeed magical, bound in some way to the skeletons' animation. Yet there is something more... The wizard feels an incomplete link between the auras of the ring and the dead body before them; like a broken chain of magic. They are bound somehow to this corpse before them. Upon studying the corpse closely, the Wizard notices that the dead sailor has lost a finger; the same finger which holds the ring on the other skeletons. A faint sense of sorrow can be felt emanating from these magical creatures.

Korchel eyed the rising undead warily. "Such horrors as these be but slaves of another's will, thralls of some sorcerer or priest of wickedness armed with the black onyx tokens of necromancy. The one with the scimitar, though, be different. I sense an evil will within its empty eyes: It be not a thrall as the others be."

"Let us act, 'fore we tempt them to come at us." Helgkhor intones, but does not move. He stands rooted in place, deathly afraid of what may come, but doing his utmost to remain calm and still. He does not wish for his companions to know, that he fears all undeath.

"The rings, they all wear the same ones. What does this mean?" He asks, then turns to Carus, "Do not laugh at the dead, bird."

Ah, how I have come to love that sense of accomplishment and victory that I get when I pull the wool over the eyes of a clever player character. What DM Triumphs have you had?

Some of mine:1. Finally killing an incredibly powerful, lucky, annoying player's character.2. Finally achieving a TPK (Total Party Kill)3. Finally achieving a TPK using only traps4. Finally working out how to make it so that d**n wizard doesn't steal the spotlight all the d**n time.

And so the companions hesitated, studying the creatures before them; unsure of whether to attack, retreat or try and push forth. But then, as though sensing the mortals' hesitation, the forward skeleton glanced behind itself to study the other undead creatures briefly. It then stepped forward. The other six undead remained in the guarded semi-circle position while this one walked slowly towards the rocky protrusion where the corpse lay. While it's hand rested on the hilt of it's Scimitar, it did not draw the weapon - it's soul-chilling gaze passed across each of the companions slowly.The group watched the figure warily; half expecting an attack. Helgkhor, his face pale with fear, drew his greatsword out and held it before him as though it were a ward against the horror.

The undead figure stopped beside the corpse. It raised it's right hand, palm upwards while watching the group before it - as though urging the group to be attentive, and then rested it's left bony hand on the shoulder of it's fallen comrade.Instantly the noise of a large battle could be heard in the empty clearing. Echoes of swords clashing and men screaming reverberated through the night, but that is all they were - echoes. Nothing could be seen. Aredhel and Metandris both saw the sounds for what they were, however, and the Druid raised his hand to the group, "Do not be alarmed! That noise is not here-and-now."

The Druid's warning didn't stop Atacuso from yelping in surprise when a spectral form materialized just a foot away from him. The figure was human and looked to be of Hypoten descent - dressed in a crimson militarial captain's uniform and wielding a Rapier and long dagger in either hand. Though the male was visible, it had a faint azure aura around it, and Atacuso and the others found that he could see through it's form to the other side! "BACK TO HELL, YE VERMINOUS BEASTS!" Obviously not in the present, the spirit swung both weapons around violently, backing away as though accosted by invisible assailants. Though only this one figure could be seen, the way the captain's weapons bounced back and lodged in mid-air suggested he got a good few hits onto whatever was attacking him! "HAHA! TASTE MY STEEL, SEWER-FILTH!"

Finally, though, after a good minute of abrasive cursing and acrobatic fighting, the captain was forced up towards the rocky protrusion in the midst of the clearing. "YE'LL NOT...AURGH!!"" The companions saw the captain's long dagger clatter to the ground and his left hand ring finger - complete with a ring similar to what the skeletons wear, though golden - suddenly become crushed and then disappear from the illusion, as though an invisible force had bitten it off altogether!"I'LL GET YE FER THAT!" The man screamed, but his screams were cut short with a gurgle as several large holes opened up in his torso - sword wounds. The spectral captain slumped to the ground, his ghostly form perfectly encasing the skeletal form which was already collapsed there. And then the image disappeared, leaving silence and darkness once again."

The skeleton removed it's hand from the corpse's shoulder and then tilted it's head to one side, as though studying whether or not the group had understood. Finally, the creature silently raised it's hand once more; this time to point. It's skeletal hand pointed over to it's left, at a particularly large wreckage of a Hypoten vessel. It's hull was torn open at the front, providing the perfect entrance point, should one want to explore it.

"I guess this is 'fetch' in spirit-tongue. Carus, would you be so kind as to fly into the ship and look for a finger, preferably with a gold ring on it?"The wizard was wary, though - there was not telling when the dead would turn hostile."I will keep these gentlemen company..."He smiled at the pointing skeleton: "Excellent suggestion, dear... slender... friend! I must say, this be a tragedy!"Keep him occupied, give the birdie time...

Logged

"Captain, the buttocks are moving from the pink into the red and purple spectrum! We cannot maintain this rate of spanking any longer!"

Korchel drew deeply from his pipe before speaking. His gaze was fixed on the ominous beings that stood before them. "In the icy realm of Twyrlandir, 'tis said that one may claim a boon of the dead if they be given peace. Since this being of horror beseeches our aid, let us help it find its rest."

Bowing slightly toward the skeltetal host, he continued. "By the icebound gods of Twyrlandir, let this be a compact betwixt us. We shall seek your lost trinket, but all shall be held in balance: Aid for aid and treasure for treasure."

If the skeletal creature understood or agreed to Korchel's suggestion of treasure, it did not reply. Simply, it lowered it's pointing hand and stood, waiting. One hand rested once more upon the hilt of it's scimitar.

Meanwhile, Carus obeyed his master and fluttered off into the gaping maw of the ship. Silence reigned for a minute(Stealth roll for Carus; Success!)Finally the beating of wings hearkened the Raven's return and it alighted onto Aredhel's shoulder. "Stinky! Smelly! Nasty critters!" he cawed.Aredhel frowned, "What have you spotted in there? Were you seen?""Three, and then four up top. Rats but men - rat-men! I was like a shadow." Carus laughed, "They did not see. Three below arguing about having no food, and then stairs go up to the roof. Four more there were. One overfed; like a walrus! The ring was there; but on a chain on it's neck! No finger! I'm not going to get eaten by rat-humans for a stinking ring!"

Helgkhor shouts aloud, "These are foes I understand!" he turns to Carus, "Seven rat-men, one fat with ring? These creatures earn no respect from me. If we kill them all to get the dead man's token, so be it."

He hesitates, studying the soggy, warped-wood of the wreckage's deck. Will it hold me? ... "Is there a plan?" He asks.

Ah, how I have come to love that sense of accomplishment and victory that I get when I pull the wool over the eyes of a clever player character. What DM Triumphs have you had?

Some of mine:1. Finally killing an incredibly powerful, lucky, annoying player's character.2. Finally achieving a TPK (Total Party Kill)3. Finally achieving a TPK using only traps4. Finally working out how to make it so that d**n wizard doesn't steal the spotlight all the d**n time.

Ah, how I have come to love that sense of accomplishment and victory that I get when I pull the wool over the eyes of a clever player character. What DM Triumphs have you had?

Some of mine:1. Finally killing an incredibly powerful, lucky, annoying player's character.2. Finally achieving a TPK (Total Party Kill)3. Finally achieving a TPK using only traps4. Finally working out how to make it so that d**n wizard doesn't steal the spotlight all the d**n time.

Ah, how I have come to love that sense of accomplishment and victory that I get when I pull the wool over the eyes of a clever player character. What DM Triumphs have you had?

Some of mine:1. Finally killing an incredibly powerful, lucky, annoying player's character.2. Finally achieving a TPK (Total Party Kill)3. Finally achieving a TPK using only traps4. Finally working out how to make it so that d**n wizard doesn't steal the spotlight all the d**n time.